Hosi: South Africa bids farewell to trailblazing monarch

Mourners gathered on Sunday at the Valoyi Vatsonga Cultural Village outside Tzaneen to bid farewell to Hosi Phylia Tinyiko Lwandlamuni N’wamitwa II, a pioneering traditional leader whose life bridged royalty, education, and public service.

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy, honouring her as a courageous and visionary leader. He designated that she be laid to rest with a Category Two Official Provincial Funeral in Limpopo—a tribute to a woman widely described as a towering figure in traditional and national life.

Born in 1939 or 1940 into the royal family of the Valoyi clan in Limpopo’s Mopani District, N’wamitwa was the first and only child of Hosi Fofoza Nwamitwa and his principal wife, Nkosikazi Favazi Nwamanave. After her father died in 1968 without a male heir, her uncle assumed the throne, in line with custom.

But history shifted decades later. In a landmark court ruling on 4 June 2008, she was formally installed as Hosi on 29 August 2008, becoming the first woman in Vatsonga history—and South Africa’s first female Hosi—to lead a traditional community of about 500,000 people.

Educator and activist

Beyond the throne, she was a lifelong educator and activist. She obtained a postgraduate qualification from the University of South Africa (Unisa), working as a teacher and later an inspector of education in Limpopo.

“We will forever remember Hosi Dr Tinyiko Lwandlamuni Nwamitwa II. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” wrote Vice President Paul Mashatile in his tribute.

In recognition of her leadership and contribution to advancing rights and knowledge, the University of South Africa awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Her public service extended into the political arena during South Africa’s transition to democracy.

As a member of the African National Congress, she served in Parliament from 1994 to 2009, championing human rights, women’s empowerment, and education reform.